Fictional Stories in Science
Using Fictional Stories as a Pathway to Science Content
Tuesday Morning Reads for December 5th
A Moon of My Own by Jennifer Rustgi, illustrated by Ashley White: On the note from the author, it says, “Come along on an enchanted adventure around the world with a young girl and her faithful companion, the Moon”–and this book was exactly that! đ With it wonderful illustrations it captured the girls nightly friendship with the moon, and her nightly wondering on why it changed. Did it do that for her? This is a great book to read, along with Owl Moon, or by itself, as an introduction to phases of the moon. What have the students noticed? What are their thoughts on why that happens? What are they more curious about?
Mr. Crum’s Potato Predicament by Anne Renaud, illustrated by Felicita Sala: Just the other day someone asked me to list things that I loved, and honestly, potato chips were on the list. đ I always thought that I was born in the right state, since I love all things potatoes…but I have never thought about how the potato chip came to be. This is just that story: one amazing chef and one very picky eater. With its detailed illustrations, this tells the story of George Crum, and never-ending efforts to deliver what the customer wanted. Now, you might be thinking…why is this here? How it is a fictional story with a science theme? It may be a bit of a stretch, but I couldn’t help but see the scientific method within the story, the grit also seen in scientists, and the surprise (and tasty) invention that came of it.
Life on Mars by Jon Agee: This book left me with a smile–which was quite the surprise. I didn’t anticipate that based on the title, so in my opinion, this makes for a great read! đ But more than that, it can be a book about observations, or being observant, and about following your curiosities. For a classroom studying the planets, it could also be an introduction to the student’s questions about the planets or a lesson on current news about the planets.
Fictional Stories in Science 